Improved apparatus for amalgamating precious metals



- J. B. ATWATER.

Ore Amalgamator.

Patented Decf-5, 1863.

Inventor-s' /AWM Witnesses:

J. B. ATWATER, OF CHIOAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING PRECIOUS METALS.

Speeification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,894, dated December15, 1863.

To all whom it may 0012067 77,.-

Be it known that I, J. B. ATWATER, of Chicago, in the eonnty of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Device forAmalgamating Precious Metals and I do hereby declare that the followingis afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side sectional view of my in- Vention, taken in theline xx, Fig. 2, nearly one-half of the device being biseeted 5 Fig. atransverse Vertical section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twotigures This invention consists in the employment or use of one or morereciprocating frames, composed of a series of bars constructed in such amanner, and arranged in Connection with a tray or vessel to hold thequicksilver and tailings or ore, that both the small and large partielesof metal contained in the tailings or ore will be brought in contactwith the quicksilver, and a thorough amalgam ation eft'ected.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents arectangular tray or bOX,COI1- structed of any suitabledimensions and supported at a proper height by a framing, B. Underneaththe tray or boX A there is a transverse shaft, O, which works insuitable bearings, a, on uprights b b, and on each end of this shaftthere is keyed a cranlepulley, D,

*the wristpins c of which are plaeed in opposite positions to each otherwith respect to the shaft C, as shown in Fig. 2.

E E represent two sliding or reciproeating plates or caps, which arefitted on the sides of the tray or box A, the onter portions of theplates or caps working between guides d d, and having each a rod or arm,F, projecting horizontally from them, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. Therods or arms F F are connected by pitmen G to the crank-pulleys D D, andto the inner side of each plate or cap E there is attached a frame, H,which is composed of a bar, e, having parallel arms or beaters fattached at right angles, the arms or beaters of one frame being in linewith the centers of the spaces between the arms or beaters of the otherframe, so that the two frames may rise and fall alternately, or movesimultaneously in opposite directions, without interferingwith eachother. The pitmen G have each two holes, g g, made in them, one abovethe other, as shown in Fig. 1, the use of which will be presentlyexplained. The arms or beaters f of the frames H have each a strip orbar, h, attaohed to them. These bars project a little beyond the sidesof the arms or beaters, and the latter may have their sides a littleinclined inward at their lower parts, so that the edges of the bars hmay serve as elevators, as will be presently shown.

The operation is as follows: The quartz or ore is crushed as fine as isdesirahle, and is then dried by artifioal heat or otherwise. The tray orbox A is then supplied with quicksilver, and the ore is then sit'tedupon the quicksilver to the depth of two or three inches. The frames HH, which were pre- Viously removed, are then placed in the tray or boxA, and the pitmen G connected With the plates or caps E by fitting therods' or arms F in the lower holes g of the pitmen. The shaft O isrotated by any convenient power, and the arms or beaters f pass throughthe pulverized dried ore and into the bed of quicksilver, the elevatorsh just submerging themselves into the latter. As the frames H rise theelevators h carry up a quantity of quicksilver, which is distrihuted inglobules through the ore and upon the top surface of the same, and bythe reciprocating action of the arms or beatersf the larger particles ofgold are driven'in contact With the quicksilver and are amalgamated,while the globules distribnted by the elevators through the mass of orecome in contact with and amalgamate all of the fine particles of gold.The amalgamation being perfected, the rods or arms F are fitted in theupper holes g of the pitmen G and the device againput in operation. Thearms or beaters' f now operate on the surface of the ore, and theconntless number of globnles are, by the force of impact, driven throughthe ore, and mingled with the quicksilver below. The frames H are nowremoved from the tray or box A, and the refuse raked off. This processof amalgamation may be continucd until the qucksilver becomes nactive.The latter then is subjeeted to a process of straining, evaporation,&c., as usual.

The device may be used With Web ore or pulp by admitting a stream of thelatter through the tray or box A, the latter being put in communicationWith the quartz-mill by means of a suitable conductor. In this operationthe rods or arms F are fitted in the lower holes g of the pitmen G, andthe finer particles of gold are amalgamated With the globules, Whilelarger particles are drven into the bed of quicksilver and absorbedthereby, in the same way as dcscribed in the first or dryore process.

J. B. ATWATER.

Witnesses J. A. HOISINGTON, G. E. JOURDAN.

